Trump administration suspends major Indian IT firms from Green Card programme
TCS, Wipro, Infosys and other companies face restrictions on permanent residency applications amid US visa fraud crackdown
Washington : In a below to Indian IT companies, the Trump administration has suspended several major Indian IT outsourcing firms, along with US technology giants Microsoft and Adobe, from the Permanent Labour Certification Programme (PERM), a key pathway through which skilled foreign workers can obtain US permanent residency.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the announcement was made during a press conference on visa fraud addressed by US Vice President JD Vance, Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling and other officials.
The Indian IT companies affected include Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, Infosys, HCL Technologies and Cognizant, while French technology company Capgemini has also been suspended. The US administration said it would neither accept new nor process pending permanent labour certification applications involving the companies.
Reuters, citing US officials, reported that the measure was prompted by concerns over alleged irregularities in visa programmes and the need to protect jobs for American citizens.
“Our message to Microsoft is: you’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” Vance said at the press conference. He accused Microsoft of exploiting the system by laying off American employees while benefiting from foreign-worker visas and green cards. These allegations formed part of the administration’s justification for the action.
Sonderling said the Department of Labour was suspending the companies from the PERM programme amid ongoing investigations into alleged fraud. The programme requires employers to demonstrate that qualified US workers are not available for the positions they intend to fill with foreign workers.
The move has raised concerns about employment and permanent residency prospects for Indian technology professionals seeking opportunities in the United States, including Silicon Valley and other technology hubs. These economic measures by Washington could further aggravate inflation and unemployment in India.
The development comes amid wider trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi over India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and US tariffs on Indian goods. The latest restrictions are being viewed as a clear indication of the failure of Indian diplomacy.
